A Naturalist, Community Facilitator and Water Resources Advocate!

Des Moines, IA – Molly Hanson has joined RDG Planning & Design, bringing her talents and skills as a naturalist, facilitator, and water resource expert to our planning and design team! Molly has a passion for bringing people together around conservation, community, and protecting Iowa’s natural resources. RDG clients and collaborators will benefit from Molly’s expertise, enthusiasm and experience as she engages and facilitates efforts around the region based in the principles of environmental conservation and restoration.

Molly describes herself as a “community builder, educator, and water champion.” She comes to RDG after having served as a naturalist with the Madison County Conservation Board and then as the first full-time executive director of Iowa Rivers Revival, a nonprofit organization that exists to help Iowans understand, restore and engage with the state’s rivers. Molly has led outdoor adventure trips, created and led nature education programming, and canoed many of Iowa rivers. Each of these efforts serves to educate citizens and policymakers, developing awareness, understanding and appreciation for the quality of the environments in which they live.

Molly joins an extraordinary group of design professionals working at a variety of scales from site specific environmental restoration to community land use policy development to regional watershed planning. RDG works each day to provide clients with solid fact-based data, unbiased analysis, comprehensive understanding, and innovative engagement and communication strategies that get people involved. “Molly brings educational expertise, fresh perspectives and unstoppable energy to projects and programs for and in the great outdoors. She will help elevate RDG’s already exceptional work in parks, conservation, thoughtful development, public health and more,” said Pat Boddy, who has led RDG’s environmental sustainability efforts for 8 years.

Molly’s work has brought her together with RDG on more than one occasion in the past, in particular because Iowa Rivers Revival has been located in one of the nonprofit office spaces RDG donates in its 301 Grand office.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with RDG throughout my career.” said Molly.  “We’ve talked conceptual designs for a nature center, joined forces to pitch a downtown whitewater park and even shared office space. It feels like I’ve come full circle to be offered a position with such an amazing company and I can’t wait to dive in.”

RDG Planning & Design is a multifaceted network of design and planning professionals. Diverse in knowledge and experience, we are united in the pursuit of meaning for our clients and ourselves. On a daily basis our ability to think, analyze, communicate, draw, conceive, design, and implement is directly connected to the common mission we hold with our clients – to Create Meaning Together. For us design is always informed by the drive to live life responsibly and do it well as individuals, as a company, and as part of the community.